let's grow together!

Before I dig in, I first want to say, WELCOME! The dream of this community has been on my heart for some time, so I'm super excited that it's now a reality. I can't wait to dive deep with you, and I hope we all grow exponentially together!

Welcome!

What to Expect Each Month

Each month, we will dive DEEP on two topics:
1. BTS Farm Tasks
2. Plant Profile

In addition, I will be sharing links to free resources, exercises, and tools that I use (whether industry standards or my own proprietary templates, like my Seed Sowing & Planning Spreadsheet)!

Each month, two new topics will be released around the middle of each month (this gives me time to capture what I am doing in real time).

To keep things fair for new and existing members, the links for each month will be active until the end of the following month (so, January will be available until the end of February). Once the previous month's links expire, we'll email you a PDF copy of both topics, so that you alway have it to refer back to!

Each post has an option to comment at the end, so please ask questions or share any insights you might have! We're all better for it :)

Each month, I take you behind-the-scenes of how I run the farm (all while working full time!) I also include topics I *wish* I would have known or done when I was just starting out. There are actionable steps if you want to follow along, as well as exercises and tools that I personally use (many of them are ones I created).

While this half of FFY is centered on BTS of our farm, I hope it gives you insight and actionable steps to implement for your own. Some of my biggest a-ha moments were seeing exactly how others do things (even if I did not implement exactly the same way). Everything may not be for you, but I hope you find some useful nuggets from a fellow farmer. 

What to Expect: BTS Farm Tasks

What to Expect: Plant Profiles

Plant Profiles dive DEEP on one plant variety each month. They are meant to provide you with enough information to make good growing decisions. A desire to grow gorgeous flowers is one thing (take it from someone who has a flower wishlist full of stunning photos taken by flower growers from around the globe that is approximately 2470823 miles long). However, discerning if a particular plant is right for you and your climate is a whole other ballgame.

My intention here is to give you as much practical information to make these decisions. However, I'm going one step further and taking you completely behind the scenes to share exactly what has worked for us as well. 

For this reason, Plant Profiles are broken up into what I'm calling the
"Nuts and Bolts (N&B)" and "Behind the Scenes (BTS)."

Nuts and bolts (N&B): the practical facts about a particular thing. N&B include plant facts, optimal growing information for cut flower production, harvesting techniques, post-harvest treatment, and so forth, according to university research, industry-standard resources, research farms, and leading experts in the flower farming community.

Think of N&B as a collection of widely-accepted principles and successful growing practices, backed by research and leading experts in the field.

Behind the Scenes (BTS): how we apply this practical information on our farm. BTS is just that: me pulling back the curtain and getting into the nitty gritty of exactly what we do. It may not be the best way, it's certainly not the only way, but it is what currently works best for us based on our climate and how we choose to run our farm and business.

Think of BTS like a friend sharing a favorite recipe: If you want to know exactly how she makes her famous chocolate chip cookies, she's sharing her detailed recipe with you. You decide how to adapt it for your unique situation (taste, access to ingredients, altitude, equipment, etc.).

The "Why" Behind It

I decided to break it up this way, because I think both are equally important. One without the other is not a complete story. Optimal conditions without real-life application lacks clear, actionable steps and can leave one overwhelmed with analysis paralysis. On the other hand, blindly following the instructions of another grower without understanding the fundamentals can lead to frustration when results are not the same (because the conditions were not the same).

Learning the fundamentals is about understanding what a particular plant needs to thrive (regardless of your growing zone and unique situation). Applying that knowledge in real life is where you, as the grower, decide how you can best mimic those ideal conditions within the constraints of your growing zone and unique situation. That said, some of the best lessons I've learned were seeing how others *actually* do things. Seeing the practical information applied in real life is usually an a-ha moment for me (even if I may not end up doing it exactly the same way). Sometimes I just want the up-close, nitty-gritty details.

I hope the N&B provide you with the fundamentals to make informed growing decisions, while the BTS give you an idea of how these can be applied in real life.

My Promise

As this space grows and evolves, much like a farm itself, we may role out new features here! If you'd like to see something done differently or would find something helpful, please don't hesitate to reach out to me: maggie@petalbackfarm.com

As new features are rolled out, the membership price may change. However, as long as your membership remains active, we will HONOR your original membership price! In other words, you are locked in, my friend.

Cheers!

Maggie

If you have any questions, concerns, or feedback about your FFY Membership, please email us at support@petalbackfarm.com. If you have questions about flowers (growing or otherwise), please use the comments section in each month's post. This helps us all grow!

For the best support regarding FFY, please use the above options versus DMs on Instagram. We love Insta, and we love connecting with you there, but Insta Messages can be the wild, wild west! 

I try my best to respond to all DMs (and I will continue to do so), but it's not always possible, and they easily get missed. As a member of FFY, you are much more of a priority to me than Instagram, so please utilize the above options for the best support. Also, this allows me to type a response, which means a better and more-thorough answer.

Support